


The Prince's Whipping Boy

by Quiet_Shadow



Series: Summer Days Prompts [20]
Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe, Hostage Situations, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-13 13:41:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15365901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quiet_Shadow/pseuds/Quiet_Shadow
Summary: Little Prince AU.When your lover comes back from a mission, he's supposed to bring you energon or oil goodies or crystals or perhaps a can of fine wax for your finish. Unfortunaly for Knock Out, this time Breakdown brought back a Youngling.





	The Prince's Whipping Boy

**Author's Note:**

> A continuation from 'Kidnapping the Prince', though not directly featuring Smokescreen for once.

“Ah, Breakdown! Finally you’re…!” Knock Out started to say with enthusiasm as he heard the door of his (well, theirs since he had managed to convince the big mech to move in with him, which didn’t take that much persuasion to begin with) quarters only to trail off in surprise at the sight. “Breakdown?” he asked flatly. “What the Pit?”

Okay, perhaps he shouldn’t have sworn; swearing was anything but classy and Knock Out liked to be classy and it took more than a good paintjob and a fantastic finish. Not to mention, you shouldn’t swear in front of young ‘bots, less you give them bad habits.

But really, what else was he supposed to do when his lover came back from a mission to THEIR quarters carrying a YOUNGLING that had no business being here in his arms?! Or on the ship, for that matter; it was a war ship, not a nursery or Youth Sector!

Breakdown didn’t answer him and didn’t even look at him, too busy looking down at his burden and making soft noises at him. “Hey, hey, calm down. It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s finished, just calm down…” Well, that was ominous. Knock Out didn’t have a good view of the Youngling’s frame but it was hard to ignore the way he was shaking – or the ugly, black marks on his back, not unlike the ones Knock Out’s energon prod could leave behind when he struck. The medic’s optics narrowed.

“Breakdown? Did you hear me? I want an explanation! What is Youngling doing here?”

“In a bit,” the big mech replied, shifting his grip on the smallish mech as he walked deeper in the room and let the room lock behind him. “Is our berth available? I need to lie him down.”

Knock Out sputtered. THEIR berth? Oh, the audacity! He tried to open his mouth to say ‘no’, no way he was letting an unknown brat in their berth, but Breakdown was already moving without waiting for an answer, still cooing at the shaking mechling he carried over. Knock Out huffed and followed him, watching the blue mech gently put the Youngling down on the mesh padding (Knock Out’s personally selected mesh padding, so soft to the touch and ideal to keep his finish in prime condition) where the kid immediately curled into a ball, back to the two Decepticons. Knock Out just caught sight of blue optics were moistness had gathered at the corner before they quickly turned away from him. Autobot brat, he guessed, but why Breakdown had brought him here was anyone’s guess.

The medic’s optics wandered up and down the gangly frame. Yep, that really looked like burnt marks, Knock Out thought dispassionately. Energon whip, if he had to take a guess. Must hurt like the Pit and it had really messed up the brat’s paint. Too bad, because it had a certain flair, what’s with the red and yellow in flames pattern. Not Knock Out’s style, but it had something.

Breakdown hovered over the berth like an oversized Robot-Hen, wiggling his fingers together. “Hey, you’re listening to me, kid? Just… just rest some, okay? I’m going to see with Knock Out about something for the pain. Then you’ll get a good wash and I’ll even apply some finish to make you look nice, how about it?”

“Doesn’t Knock Out have a word to say?” the medic asked bitterly, not liking the way he was being left out of the loop and how Breakdown presumed he was going to do anything for an Autobrat without an explanation (admittedly, he could, if only to fix up that damaged paintjob which was starting to offend his optics, but never mind). “Breakdown…” he warned.

The blue mech sighed. “Yeah, yeah; the other room,” he gestured toward the room before looking down at the berth’s occupant. “Don’t move from here, okay? If you try to walk, you’re going to fall. I’ll be back in a bit.”

“So,” Knock Out asked scathingly as soon as the berthroom door was closed shut – and the lock engaged, because Breakdown wasn’t an idiot – “You’re bringing strays home now?”

“It’s not like that,” Breakdown defended himself. “That Youngling, Hot Rod… I was asked to take care of him for the foreseeable future.”

“Oh, wonderful! And you didn’t think you could say ‘no’ or ask me my advice?” Knock Out asked sarcastically.

“Order from the top,” Breakdown replied darkly and Knock Out felt his sarcasm dry up a bit. “Dreadwing and Skyquake’s team got back not even a megacycle ago, and they were successful.”

“… That’s not Lord Megatron’s Creation, I hope?” Knock Out let out warily.

Breakdown sighed. “No, he’s just a tag-along, from what I gathered – a friend of our new little Prince, apparently. Not that I got told much of anything. I was just passing through when Soundwave stopped and dragged me in. Pretty much dropped the kid in my arms while Megatron watched and ordered me to take care of him. How do you say ‘no’ to that?”

“Not easily,” Knock Out admitted grudgingly. “But why you? I’m sure there must have been other grunts in that corridor.”

Breakdown shrugged. “Dunno; perhaps they thought I’d actually be decent at the job? I wouldn’t let a Sparkling or a Youngling with some of the crew, that’s for sure; he’d die in less than a stellar cycle. And…” he hesitated, a tiny smile on his lips, “perhaps they thought my partner would be a good secondary caretaker?”

Knock Out scoffed. “Are you seriously saying they expect us to play to ‘Sire, Carrier and Creation’ with an Autobot?”

“Without getting that far, I think a Youngling has better chances to survive with us than, say, with Airachnid. And someone like Soundwave would probably terrify the kid,” the blue mech pointed out. “Plus, friend of the Prince, remember? They probably want to give him some protection…”

“More like they want us to be watchdogs,” Knock Out countered. “It’s an Autobot-raised Youngling, he’s going to try to escape – and possibly the Prince too. We’ve been drafted into the role of gilded cage guardians.”

“You’re harsh.”

“I’m realistic. Which reminds me, what’s with his back?”

Breakdown winced. “I wasn’t here, but there was an energon whip on the floor, so it’s not hard to guess.”

“What did he do? Scratch Megatron’s paint?” Knock Out asked, raising an optic ridge.

“Megatron isn’t you,” Breakdown dismissed the idea. He looked preoccupied. “I think… Well, I saw the Prince; he was next to Megatron and he looked upset,” he mentioned. “If I had to take a guess, I’d say someone had a practical demonstration of what would happen if one of them got caught doing something wrong… like trying to leave without permission.”

Knock Out hummed. “That’d fit.” And it did. Though unlike Breakdown, he didn’t think both Younglings would be punished. Megatron had invested too much into getting his Creation back from under Optimus Prime’s thumb to risk harming the Youngling. Even if the little Prince did something wrong, Knock Out doubted Megatron would physically punish him. But punishing him by proxy, by making sure the Prince’s friend got punished instead… Yeah, he could see that easily.

He sighed. What a fragging mess. And no way to back out of it, too, unless he wanted Megatron’s attention on him. Ugh. “Where can we get a Youngling-sized berth? He’s not recharging in mine if I can help it,” he explained at Breakdown’s look. “I intend to fully indulge into the use of that king-size berth with you and I’m not into a threesome and even less so with a half-grown brat.”

Breakdown’s optics widened and he coughed. “Oh, uh, I guess I can send a request for one. Dunno when we’ll get it though. In the meanwhile, will you look at his back? Orders are to see to the Youngling’s continued good health, so…”

“I’ll give him a look later – and if he’s well-behaved, I might even let him use my private washracks,” he said magnanimously. He’d have to check up the full extent of Breakdown’s orders concerning their unannounced ‘guest’. Breakdown sometimes forget to get all the details for assignment and Knock Out wanted to avoid bad surprises. Just how much care were they supposed to give the kid anyway? “He got a name you caught, by the way?”

Breakdown hugged him to his chest gently. “Hot Rod. Cute name, no?”

Knock Out let himself lean against his lover’s broad chest. “Not as good as mine, I hope?”

“Never,” Breakdown said vehemently. “And now, won’t you kiss me? I missed you…”


End file.
